Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
DT Swiss is famous for making their own spokes, but for the new ARC 1100, they did the unthinkable: they outsourced the most critical component to a company called Vonoa.
Why do carbon spokes lose tension? In this DT Swiss ARC 1100 review, we investigate why DT Swiss did the unthinkable: they outsourced to Vonoa, but to fix the critical 'loosening' flaw found in other lightweight wheels they had to beef up the rim of these hyler lightweight wheels.
In this mechanical deep dive, we put the new DT Swiss ARC 1100 wheelset through the Mapdec Lab to answer one specific question: Does Western manufacturing actually justify the £2,800 price tag over budget Chinese alternatives?
We discovered that most carbon-spoked wheels have a fatal flaw—they lose a scary amount of tension the moment you inflate a tire. Using our custom tension rig, we test if DT Swiss has finally solved the "loosening" problem that plagues lightweight wheels.
In this video:
The Vonoa Spoke: Why DT Swiss abandoned their own spokes for this project.
The Lab Test: Measuring exact spoke tension drop before and after inflation.
Internal Inspection: A macro look at the rim bed quality (Princeton Carbon levels?).
The Physics: Why stiff carbon spokes require a specific type of rim and hub to stay safe.
If you are considering upgrading to carbon spokes, do not buy anything until you understand the relationship between Rim Stiffness, hub layout, and Spoke Tension.
Chapters
00:00 - The "Outsourced" Secret (Vonoa Spokes)
01:08 - ARC 1100 Specs & Aero 111 Tires
02:38 - Real World Weight Test
03:09 - The Carbon Spoke "Tension Trap" Explained
05:27 - Tension Drop Analysis (With & Without Tire)
06:37 - Internal Quality Inspection (Macro Cam)
07:39 - An Open Letter to DT Swiss (Right to Repair)
09:19 - LAB TEST: Converting Deflection to KgF
10:12 - Physics: Why Cheap Carbon Spokes Come Loose
13:22 - Is £2,800 Worth It? (Western Accountability vs. Chinese Price)
16:02 - Final Verdict
🚴♂️ About Mapdec Cycle Works: We are a dedicated workshop based in the Lake District, UK. mapdec.com
📩 Interested in a Custom Build? Get in touch to discuss your dream Wilier, Time, LOOK or FiftyOne build: Click product above.
🔔 Subscribe for more technical deep dives
#DTSwiss #CyclingEngineering #WheelBuilding #Mapdec #CarbonSpokes
DT Swiss is famous for making their own spokes, but for the new ARC 1100, they did the unthinkable: they outsourced the most critical component to a company called Vonoa.
Why do carbon spokes lose tension? In this DT Swiss ARC 1100 review, we investigate why DT Swiss did the unthinkable: they outsourced to Vonoa, but to fix the critical 'loosening' flaw found in other lightweight wheels they had to beef up the rim of these hyler lightweight wheels.
In this mechanical deep dive, we put the new DT Swiss ARC 1100 wheelset through the Mapdec Lab to answer one specific question: Does Western manufacturing actually justify the £2,800 price tag over budget Chinese alternatives?
We discovered that most carbon-spoked wheels have a fatal flaw—they lose a scary amount of tension the moment you inflate a tire. Using our custom tension rig, we test if DT Swiss has finally solved the "loosening" problem that plagues lightweight wheels.
In this video:
The Vonoa Spoke: Why DT Swiss abandoned their own spokes for this project.
The Lab Test: Measuring exact spoke tension drop before and after inflation.
Internal Inspection: A macro look at the rim bed quality (Princeton Carbon levels?).
The Physics: Why stiff carbon spokes require a specific type of rim and hub to stay safe.
If you are considering upgrading to carbon spokes, do not buy anything until you understand the relationship between Rim Stiffness, hub layout, and Spoke Tension.
Chapters
00:00 - The "Outsourced" Secret (Vonoa Spokes)
01:08 - ARC 1100 Specs & Aero 111 Tires
02:38 - Real World Weight Test
03:09 - The Carbon Spoke "Tension Trap" Explained
05:27 - Tension Drop Analysis (With & Without Tire)
06:37 - Internal Quality Inspection (Macro Cam)
07:39 - An Open Letter to DT Swiss (Right to Repair)
09:19 - LAB TEST: Converting Deflection to KgF
10:12 - Physics: Why Cheap Carbon Spokes Come Loose
13:22 - Is £2,800 Worth It? (Western Accountability vs. Chinese Price)
16:02 - Final Verdict
🚴♂️ About Mapdec Cycle Works: We are a dedicated workshop based in the Lake District, UK. mapdec.com
📩 Interested in a Custom Build? Get in touch to discuss your dream Wilier, Time, LOOK or FiftyOne build: Click product above.
🔔 Subscribe for more technical deep dives
#DTSwiss #CyclingEngineering #WheelBuilding #Mapdec #CarbonSpokes
